By Charlie Spiering

By Charlie Spiering

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

Pamela Lynn Tucker, beloved teacher and co-founder of Wakefield Country Day School in Huntly retired from teaching this summer. She has passed the reigns of her cherished classes to her daughter, Welby Griffin, and rested the formation of the school in the hands of Kathleen Grove. “I have been carrying this fun burden for 30 years,” said Tucker adding, “I feel that it is time for me to try other things.”

Tbgether with her husband, William Lynn, Tucker first broke ground for Wakefield, a private school in Huntly, Virginia, nearly 35 years ago in 1972.

Tucker first got involved with education after she enrolled her first two sons, Wynn and Doug in a Montessori school in Green Bay, Wisconsin. While the children were in school she donated her time as a volunteer administrator.

After her husband, Roy Voek, died in a tragic hunting accident, Ticker coped by devoting more of her time to the school. Years later, as she became more involved with the school, she decided to seek formal training at a Montessori conference held in Chicago.

While she was attending the conference, Pamela soon became aware of a man who was “outrageously young looking,” although he seemed to be a black sheep in the program. Tucker chuckled when she recalled her first impression of him, “I kept wondering, who is that antagonistic young man who has no idea what he is talking about?”

Enter Dr. Lynn

The man was William Lynn who was currently a teacher in North Carolina. Lynn had a passion for education which is what led him to the Montessori conference. As the Montessorian an ideal had gained presidence during the 70s, Dr. Lynn wanted to know more about it.

Although he was intrigued with the Montessori method he remained slightly critical of the program due do his more traditional view of education. “Bill was very pragmatic, Pamela said, “he wanted to employ the things that had withstood the test of time.” She said that Lynn was keen on the French Lycee